List of Albania international footballers


The Albania national football team has represented Albania in international association football since 1946. The Albanian Football Association was founded in 1930 and became a member of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association two years later. However, the team did not play its first official international match until 7 October 1946, suffering a 3–2 defeat to Yugoslavia in the 1946 Balkan Cup. In 1954, Albania was one of the founding members of the Union of European Football Associations and continues to compete as a member of the organisation, which encompasses the countries of Europe and Israel. As of March 2019, Albania have played 328 international fixtures, winning 81, drawing 68 and losing 179. They have played more fixtures against Romania than any other national side, losing 13 of the 19 matches between the sides. In global and continental competitions, the team has competed in qualification groups for both the FIFA World Cup, since 1966, and the UEFA European Championship, since 1964. The team has qualified for one international tournament during its history, UEFA Euro 2016, where they were eliminated in the group stage. In minor competitions, the team won the 1946 Balkan Cup and the 2000 Malta International Football Tournament.
As of March 2019, Albania's most capped player is Lorik Cana who accumulated 92 caps during his career. He made his international debut in June 2003 in a 3–2 defeat against Switzerland and won his final cap in June 2016 in a 1–0 victory over Romania at UEFA Euro 2016, retiring from international duty after the tournament. The nation's leading goalscorer is Erjon Bogdani who scored 18 times during his international career between 1996 and 2013. Bogdani overtook the previous record holder, Alban Bushi, in September 2011 after scoring in three consecutive international fixtures. Bushi had claimed the record from Altin Rraklli in 2004.
The first player to reach 25 caps for Albania was Panajot Pano, who reached the total in April 1973 in a match against East Germany. Pano was later named as his country's "golden player" by the FSHF during the UEFA Jubilee Awards in 2004 as Albania's "single most outstanding player". Foto Strakosha is the most capped goalkeeper in the national team's history and held the overall cap record until 2011, when his total was surpassed by Altin Lala. The current holder, Lorik Cana, claimed the record in 2014.

Players

Appearances and goals are composed of FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship and each competition's required qualification matches, as well as numerous international friendly tournaments and matches. Players are listed by number of caps. If the number of caps is equal, the players are then listed alphabetically. Statistics updated following match played on 25 March 2019.
|alt=A stamp featuring a football team lining up prior to a match
Note: Albania played a friendly match against Kosovo on 13 November 2015. The match was played before Kosovo became a member of FIFA or UEFA and is not recognised as an official match by either organisation but is recognised by the FSHF. As such, the match is excluded from the totals in the table below and the notes column lists which players appeared in the match.
Key
*
Still active for the national team
=
Player is tied for the number of caps
GKGoalkeeper
DFDefender
MFMidfielder
FWForward

was selected by the Albanian Football Association as the most outstanding player of the past 50 years.|alt=A footballer wearing a white jersey
played 78 times for Albania and held the caps record between 2011 and 2014.|alt=A man with dark hair wearing a white tracksuit
No.NamePositionNational team careerCapsGoalsNotes
1DF2003–2016921
2MF1998–2011783
3MF2001–2011776
4MF2000–20117513
5FW1996–20137418
6=*DF2005–2018733
6=GK1990–2004730
8*DF2007–2018690
9FW1997–20076810
10=FW1995–20076714
10=MF1995–2009673
12DF2005–2013641
13FW1992–20056311
14DF1990–2001595
15MF2002–2015561
16*GK2012–2019540
17*FW2006–20155011
18*MF2011–2018494
19=*DF2012–2018483
19=DF1994–2002480
21=DF2002–2009470
21=*MF2007–2018472
23=*DF2013–2019450
23=MF1983–1995451
25DF2006–2015441
26=GK1998–2011430
26=MF2000–2007432
26=MF1998–2006424
29*FW2004–2014416
30DF1992–2000401
31=MF1994–2002396
31=MF1998–2007391
33MF1984–1995362
34=*MF2010–2019352
34=DF2008–2012350
36=DF1995–2005340
36=*FW2012–20193412
38*MF2013–2019323
39=*FW2012–2019316
39=DF1995–2007310
39=FW1987–19963110
42=MF1994–2003301
42=MF1987–1996300
44=*MF2013–2019291
44=MF2002–2006298
46=FW1980–1989282
46=FW1963–1973284
46=*MF2012–2019281
47=*FW2014–2018272
47=MF1984–1992271
47=*MF2012–2017270
47=*MF2013–2018273
47=*MF2009–2014273
54=MF2007–2013261
54=DF1995–2002261
54=FW2002–2006263
57FW1992–2002251